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Smoking is costing councils in the North West more than 91 million pounds every year.
Local authorities are spending the money to enable people with smoking-related illnesses to live in their own homes.
The new figures come from the group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
The study shows that every year 5,600 more people in the North West need local authority social care as a result of smoking.

ASH says smokers over 50 are twice as likely to need help with day-to-day living Credit: PA

The research also shows that local authorities spend more as a proportion of their care budgets on smoking-related care than the NHS does.

Credit: PA

“For every person who dies from smoking, 20 are living with a smoking-related illness. Smokers not only die younger but need care on average nine years earlier than non-smokers. Local support to help people quit and to reduce the number of young people taking up smoking is vital.”

– Dr Janet Atherton, on behalf of North West Directors of Public Health